Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
Heel pain is a commonly reported foot complaint. Millions of cases are reported in the U.S. each year. Of the reported cases, roughly half are from individuals who have had heel pain for over a year.
Many of the reported complaints of heel pain are caused by or are related to the medical condition known as plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis and heel spurs are sometimes used as synonyms by the medical profession. However they are not the same. Plantar fasciitis can be a precursor to the development of a spur. Heel spurs develop as a result of chronic stress, wherein the body lays down calcium in response to irritation. Heel spurs are often sub-clinical. As many as 30% of the population have heel spurs and don""t know it. It is usually plantar fasciitis that brings people to the doctor. The plantar fascia is a type of connective tissue that acts like a bowstring in connecting the forefoot (metatarsals) to the calcaneal bone of the heel. It aids other musculature on the underside of the foot to uphold the arch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Orthotics, orthopedic supports, taping procedures, and other devices and methods of treatment have been developed for the treatment of heel pain resulting from heel spurs/plantar fasciitis. For example:
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,967 a heel pain relief method and brace are described wherein it is proposed that heel pain may be addressed by a support designed to draw the heel medial-ward by pulling a strap around the bottom of the heel from lateral to medial and fastening it to the sleeve of the brace.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,779 an elastic sock is described which is designed to support the foot longitudinally utilizing elastic material, thereby reducing stress to the plantar fascia. The effectiveness of the sock is based on the premise that heel pain is caused by a stretching of the plantar fascia longitudinally.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,659 describes addressing heel pain caused by a contracture of the calf muscle. This support is designed to create an acute angle between the foot and the lower leg while the patient is sleeping. This presumably assists in lengthening the calf muscle, thereby reducing stress on the plantar fascia.
The entire content of all of the patents listed within the present patent application are incorporated herein by reference.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.
The present invention is directed to several embodiments for addressing and relieving heel pain in an individual, particularly heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis.
In at least one embodiment, the invention is directed to a method for treating plantar fasciitis wherein a support member or primary support mechanism, such as athletic tape, is wrapped around the calcaneal bone of the heel in a very tight manner to support the area of the plantar fascia where it inserts into the calcaneal bone of the heel.
In at least some embodiments a secondary support mechanism is utilized to support the plantar fascia medially.
In some embodiments, the invention is directed to a unique brace or sock, which incorporates both of a primary support mechanism and a secondary support mechanism in a single wearable unit. Preferably, the sock may be worn beneath other footwear such as a shoe or boot.
Further aspects of the invention will become apparent form the detailed description which follows.